Nijmegen family barred from home for own safety

Mayor Hubert Bruls of Nijmegen decided to put a home in the city on lockdown and house the family living there elsewhere for their own safety, and that of the neighborhood. The man of the house sold encrypted phones to criminals and has been facing serious threats since 2016, NOS reports.

In 2016 the police dismantled the man's company. The judiciary is still working through the data found there. The Public Prosecutor previously called the data "a major source of evidence for assassinations, armed robbery, drug trafficking, money laundering, attempted murder and other organized crime".

Since the man's business was dismantled, he's received multiple threats. His home was shot at several times and a car exploded in front of his door. Three weeks ago the police stopped a stolen car in the neighborhood. The men in that vehicle had an automatic weapon and ammunition with them.

When the family returned from holiday, they found the police waiting at their door. They were allowed to take some belongings from their house and have been moved to a secret location. The children won't be able to go to school for the time being.

The municipality and police informed the 45 families in the immediate vicinity about the move. According to NOS, they were relieved because they haven't felt safe on the street for some time.